Tuesday, December 25, 2007

The Muslim community in the Pittsburgh contributes an important proportion to the local economy by being involved in trade and business. Trade, in fact was the profession of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and hence has a special significance for the Muslim community. Today’s business world is by and large dependent upon the internet facility. However, the Muslim business community in the Pittsburgh is still relatively technologically underdeveloped. While progress is being witnessed at an individual level, we as a community still lack taking advantage of our most beneficial asset our collective inertia of doing business together.

Tijara Pittsburgh is a venture that intends to bridge this gap. This website, which is still in its infancy, aims to grow into a forum for promoting networking within the Muslim community.

The intention of this site is to assist the Muslims in Pittsburgh so they can access information that is appropriate to their own cultural needs, fill trade gaps, and ultimately benefit the community.

But, why, one might ask, would he want to create yet another database when there are already a number of websites up and running?

The answer is simple. While the website runs in more or less the same way as any listings or database website, it is different in a unique way by focusing solely on Muslim needs. For instance, one can find specific entries for halal butchers, Masajid (mosques) or Islamic bookshops on it. The advert of local business and services (InshAllah) will be only a mouse click away.

The site emphasizes that this project is provided as a service for Muslims. Hence, Tijara Pittsburgh offers free advertising in the hope that this will facilitate uptake. There are also paid-for advertising opportunities on the Tijara Pittsburgh website but these are purely to help cover the running costs of the project.

The website has an Arabic resonance as the very name ‘Tijara’ comes from Arabic, meaning ‘trade’. However, the website is certainly not just for any one group and there is much that will be of interest to Muslims and those interested in Muslim culture from all ethnic backgrounds.

In today’s fast pace world there is a pressing need for services that will facilitate the day-to-day practice of our faith. There used to be a time, for example, when early Muslim communities struggled to locate a place for prayer. Thankfully things are now a lot easier. A website like Tijara Pittsburgh represents a positive step forward and we hope that with time it will grow into a complete and comprehensive database and listings catalogue for Muslim businesses throughout our locale.

To access the main site of Masjid Mumin of Pittsburgh, please click here